Heading into the state playoffs as a heavy underdog and pitted against the state’s No. 1 overall team, it would have been easy for Mount Pisgah Christian to take a “happy-to-be-there” approach to their first postseason trip.

But the 16th seeded Patriots did just the opposite, giving Athens Academy all they could handle in the opening round of the Class-A private school state playoffs. Pisgah jumped out to an early two touchdown lead and led late in the fourth quarter before Athens Academy reeled off 17 unanswered to win 17-13 and advance to the Class-A state quarterfinals.

“It was a great game and great effort by our kids,” said Mount Pisgah football coach Doug Dixon. “We were winning late with nine minutes to go and they converted a 4th-and-16 and ended up scoring got so momentum which hurt.

“But our kids fought hard. With a minute to go we came right back and drove to the 25-yardline. We had two shots at the end zone to win it, and I thought we caught one of them, but came up just short.”

After a scoreless first quarter, Jacob Delk’s interception set up the Patriots first touchdown — a 15-yard pass from Aaron Winchester to Ryan Felice — to take a 7-0 lead. Delk then picked off another pass deep in Spartan territory that set up a short Oz Dixon touchdown run that sent the game to halftime 13-0.

Following a scoreless third quarter, Athens Academy scored on their final three drives to cap off a frantic comeback and keep their unbeaten season alive.

The loss ended Pisgah’s season with a 6-5 record but left Dixon very optimistic regarding the path of the Patriots’ football program.

“I think it shows that we’re headed in the right direction. I can tell you right now that we’re already looking forward to next season and the opportunities out there for us.”

“We’ll have a good group back next year but those guys were losing played a lot of football for us. They not only laid the foundation for our program, but started putting some bricks up too,” said the Pisgah coach

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